Gray, who starts a six-month run in “Rent” on Broadway after Memorial Day, says that it’s time for Doolittle, a professional back-up singer, to be front and center.

“She’s paid her dues,” Gray told The Post. “It would nice to see her in the spotlight. I think it would be great to see her get that opportunity.”

“I would like to see it go down to Jordin [Sparks] and Melinda. It should be a full-out battle proper, two singers who can hold their own.”

Gray says that she remains a fan of the show, even though its been more than five years since she was unexpectedly booted from “Idol” when she was the clear favorite to win.

She eventually finished fourth – much to Cowell’s astonishment.

Her performance of the Burt Bacharach classic “A House is Not a Home” was described by Cowell as “one of the best performances on television.”

Gray says she hasn’t spoken to Cowell since last year’s “Idol” season finale, but says she used to call him all the time for advice about her career.

“I’m hoping that he and that whole [‘American Idol’] crew might come into town to see me in ‘Rent,’ ” she says.

Since leaving “Idol,” Gray has released one album, a single, appeared on Fox’s “Boston Public,” in an independent film and in the Broadway show “Bombay Dreams.”

She also also co-wrote the “American Idol” season three single “I Believe,” which was performed by “Idol” finalists Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo. Barrino later released “I Believe” as her American Idol single, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Gray married singer/songwriter Sam Watters last September in Italy. Pictures of her and her husband turned up in the Italian press and the photographer she had hired to shoot her wedding pictures later sold the photos to People magazine.